7 of the 70s: 11/26/14 (1975)

It's time for this week's 70s trip, and this week I'm back to 1975, the year The Price Is Right doubled its time to an hour-long show...

Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces"
from the album AWB (1974)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriters: Roger Ball, Malcolm Duncan, Alan Garrie, Robbie McIntosh, Onnie McIntyre, Hamish Stuart

The self-proclaimed funky Caucasians from Scotland didn't need words or a gimmick to send this song to #1.

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B.T. Express - "Express"
from the album Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) (1974)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
Songwriters: Barbara Lomas, Louis Risbrook, William Risbrook, Dennis Rowe, Richard Thompson, Carlos Ward, Orlando Woods

This Brooklyn outfit rode the rails to their second top-10 pop hit with this instrumental jam.

The Isley Brothers - "Fight The Power"
from the album The Heat Is On (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
Songwriters: Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, Chris Jasper

I couldn't let this week slide without including this original protest classic. Bullshit goin' down indeed.

Bazuka - "Dynomite"
from the album Dynomite (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10
Songwriter: Tony Camillo

This record put together by R&B producer Tony Camillo showed its novelty stripes when it went top-10 pop but stalled out at #29 on the soul chart. Side eye from Jimmie Walker followed.

Jimmy Castor Bunch - "The Bertha Butt Boogie"
from the album Butt Of Course (1974)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #16
Songwriters: Jimmy Castor, Johnny Pruitt

As 2014 tries to make itself the year of the booty, this New York funk band named for its sax-playing leader shows us how its done.

Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)"
from the album Get Dancin' (1974)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23
Songwriters: Bob Crewe, Denny Randell

This is the band the Pet Shop Boys name-checked in their Bilingual track "Electricity".

Kool & The Gang - "Spirit Of The Boogie"
from the album Spirit Of The Boogie (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #35
Songwriters: Robert Bell, Ronald Bell, Donald Boyce, George Brown, Robert Mickens, Otha Nash, Claydes Smith, Dennis Thomas, Rick Westfield

Before the band became a lite-disco machine, they were a funk powerhouse on jams like this featuring proto-rap from Donald Boyce.